


The Inquisition Needs Good News

by caitirin



Series: The Chronicles of Teithranen Lavellan: Plant-Obsessed Soft-Hearted Inquisitor [11]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Adorable Cole, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Dreams, Breakfast, Camping, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dalish Elven Culture and Customs, Dalish Elves, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Helpful Cole (Dragon Age), Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Nightmares, Varric Tethras is a Good Friend, foraging, soft hearted inquisitors, teithranen lavellan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-06 21:28:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14656590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitirin/pseuds/caitirin
Summary: The Inquisitor is fearfully awaiting news about the fate of Clan Lavellan as they face the forces of the Duke of Wycombe.  He seeks comfort in trying to protect the only other Dalish he can find, the clan in the Exalted Plains.  He also tries to keep his friends safe.  Dorian tries to distract him by asking him things about Dalish culture.  Cole is adorable and Varric makes breakfast.---“Not a fan of corpses walking around trying to cut you in half?”  Dorian laughed. “Can’t imagine why.”Tei rolled his eyes.  “I suppose in Tevinter you have them washing dishes for you?”“Clearly you’re thinking of Nevarra, and never the dishes, they’d keep losing fingers.  Much better to have them sweeping, anything that fell off would be neatly tidied up,” Dorian quipped.Tei wrinkled his nose.  “That’s... disgusting.”Dorian laughed again.  “You did start the conversation.”





	The Inquisition Needs Good News

**Author's Note:**

> My Inquisitor's name is Teithranen Lavellan (Tei).
> 
> Mild spoilers for the Protect Clan Lavellan war table quests.

Tei was normally fairly still when he slept.  A little bit likely to snuggle up to whoever he was sleeping beside, but that was hardly a downside for Dorian.  He had secretly always craved that kind of intimate touch; not sex, although that was an entirely lovely thing as well, but those other moments.  Fingertips brushed across a cheek, a hand at the small of the back, a touch on the shoulder. They stirred feelings in Dorian he hadn’t even really known that he had.  And he craved those touches in a way that felt almost dangerous, like the feelings were getting too strong for him to keep pretending everything was just some casual flirtation.

The Inquisitor wasn’t a big reader, so Dorian knew that his repeated visits to the library weren’t about the books, merely excuses to see him.  And who wouldn’t want to see him? Dorian was a delight. It hadn’t even been that long since that first kiss in the library. Dorian, at first, wasn’t sure what to make of it. It had been wonderful, but maybe Tei only meant it out of sympathy, or maybe he’d regret it later.  But thankfully the elf Inquisitor was far from subtle about his feelings and the adorably awkward way he had of flirting and coming by asking to ‘talk’ quickly cleared that up for Dorian.

Suddenly Dorian found himself being dragged all across Thedas into the most dismal of places, just because he couldn’t say no when Tei asked him along, even on long trudges through knee-deep snow, festering swamps, or constant rain.  Thankfully this trip was through the Exalted Plains. Undead aside, it wasn’t the worst place to be, and seeing Tei’s delight at finding other Dalish to talk with (and run endless errands for) was well worth it.

They were camping on a ridge overlooking the plain, far enough away from those abominable fortifications where the stench of burning bodies had been enough to turn your stomach.  When they’d settled into the campsite for the night Tei had immediately got a fire going and placed very tightly bound bundles of some kind of broad leaves into the fire, just catching the edges so they’d burn more slowly.  The resulting smoke was faintly sweet and relaxing and helped mask the terrible odors of the day. You could absolutely feel the tensions of the day fading away as the bundles slowly burned. 

“Slow crackle of the fires, aravels closely drawn around.  The fire is special, it means more that night, blood and pain, but it’s not bad.  Brave faces, afraid underneath, ready. Mythal watch over us.” Cole looked over at Tei.  “You want us to feel protected. Pushing back the sadness. And you miss them.”

Tei ducked his head with a smile.  “I do,” he said without clarifying what he was responding to.  

“Doing some Dalish protection ritual for us all, Herald?”  Varric grinned.

Tei laughed.  “Maybe a little bit.  Mostly I just thought it would help clear the air.  That was a lot of undead today.” He made a face. “Not my favorite monsters.”  

“Not a fan of corpses walking around trying to cut you in half?”  Dorian laughed. “Can’t imagine why.”

Tei rolled his eyes.  “I suppose in Tevinter you have them washing dishes for you?”  

“Clearly you’re thinking of Nevarra, and never the dishes, they’d keep losing fingers.  Much better to have them sweeping, anything that fell off would be neatly tidied up,” Dorian quipped.

Tei wrinkled his nose.  “That’s... disgusting.”

Dorian laughed again.  “You did start the conversation.”

Varric snickered and jotted something down in his notebook.  He tucked it away again. “Well, Cole, I’m turning in. You should get some rest; he’ll probably have us hiking back across the plains again tomorrow.”

“I like picking spindleweed for the Dalish,”  Cole said with a happy expression. “It helps them and untangles things.  And the halla are friendly.”

Tei smiled as Cole followed Varric to the tent across the fire.  Despite Cole’s tendency to say some very revealing things about everyone, he couldn’t help but feel fond of him.  He just wanted to help everything, and that was something Tei could really understand. Tei stood up and stretched.  He looked back at Dorian. “I’m going to head in too.”

“I’ll just bank the fire then.”  Dorian made a small gathering gesture with his hand and the fire swirled about for a moment and settled safely in the center of the circle they’d built.  He smiled when he saw Tei’s outstretched hand, offering to help him to his feet. “I suppose you’re going to have us gathering elfroot for them tomorrow?”

Tei looked guiltily over his shoulder.  “Actually...”

Dorian groaned.  “I am a highly skilled mage and you’ve got me digging around in the dirt.  If my friends back home could see me now.” He followed Tei into the tent.

Tei shrugged out of his reinforced coat.  “Thank you.” 

“For complaining about elfroot?”  Dorian raised an eyebrow.

“No, for hating it but helping anyway.”  Tei laid his coat out and then tossed his shirt on top of it.  He started checking that the tent flaps were secure. It was a warm evening and leaving them open would let the breeze flow through and keep it comfortable.  “It means a lot to me that you’re willing to help them.”

Dorian shed his own clothing until he was down to just breeches.  He laid down on top of the bedroll next to Tei’s. The blankets in the tents actually smelled like the sweet leaves they’d been burning.  It was a nice change from damp and vaguely grassy. “You really miss your clan, don’t you?”

Tei laid down next to him, propping his chin in his hands.  “I do. They’re my family. Before the conclave the longest I’d been away from my clan was a couple of nights, and even then I had my brother or my cousins with me.  It’s really strange not doing those same things every day.”

“Routines can be very comforting.  That’s true enough.” Dorian laid on his side, facing Tei.  “So what was that plant stuff?

“It’s a mix of things.  Some lavender, prophet’s laurels stems, elfroot, and whatever else I had on hand when I was rolling them.”

“And you burn that to protect people, do you?”

Tei looked over at him.  “Are you making fun of me?”

Dorian put up a hand in a gesture of appeasement.  “Not in the least. Genuinely curious. I know next to nothing about the Dalish.”

Tei snickered.  “You know next to nothing about elves at all.  You weren’t even sure if Dalish was the word when you met me.  This is because Solas made fun of you for not knowing, isn’t it?”

Dorian looked evasive but amused.  “This from the man who keeps asking me about Tevinter and forgetting what he’s already asked.  Just to have an excuse to ‘talk’ to me.”

Tei smiled into his hands.  “Do you want me to talk to Solas?”

Dorian shook his head.  “Maker’s Breath, no. The day I can’t hold my own in some witty rejoinders against an unwashed apostate hobo is the day I die.”  He gave Tei a playfully reproving look. “Is it so strange that I might want to know more about you? You’re a very compelling subject, Inquisitor.”

“I wish you’d use my name.  I get Inquisitor-ed way too much.  It makes me feel like I’m not a real person,”  Tei said with a frown.

“You’re a very compelling subject, Teithranen Lavellan.”  Dorian smiled. It was good to see this side of him.

“Okay, just Tei is fine.  It sounds funny when you humans say it.”  Tei laughed.

“Did I say it wrong?”

“Not... wrong.  Just funny. Emphasis and accent I guess.”

“Also you avoided my question.”  Dorian reminded him.

“Which question was that?”  Tei laid down on his side, also facing Dorian, he curled an arm under his head.

“I asked you why you’ve never told me that much about yourself.  You know all the sordid details of my family. Regrettably. It’s only fair that I get to know some things about yours.  Unless it’s some mysterious Dalish thing that you don’t tell us ‘shems’ about you.”

Tei wrinkled his nose.  “You shouldn’t call yourself ‘shem’.  It’s not a nice term for humans. Shemlen isn’t so bad, but shem is kind of a slur.  Ish. It’s not quite as bad as something like ‘Knife Ear’ but still, I wouldn’t advise you to use it.”

“See, how else am I going to learn anything like that?”  Dorian looked pleased. “Don’t say ‘shem’ or ‘knife ear’.  I feel smarter already.”

Tei laughed.  “You better have already known that ‘knife ear’ was not a good thing to say.”  He looked into Dorian’s smiling handsome face and felt warm. “Okay, what do you want to know?”

“Well, I’m going to trust that you’ll tell me if I’m asking about something truly personal and I’ll drop the question, but I was wondering what Cole was talking about with the ‘blood and pain, but not bad’ business.”  Dorian’s expression softened.

“Oh.”  Tei nodded.  “That part. Well, I sort of think he was talking about the night I received my Vallaslin.”  Tei touched his cheek where part of his Vallaslin covered his cheekbones. “Our tattoos. It translates roughly to ‘blood writing’.”

Dorian raised an eyebrow.  “I didn’t think the Dalish were into blood magic.”

Tei rolled his eyes again.  “That’s because it isn’t blood magic.  Your keeper casts into the ink we use and that’s mixed with blood.  So there is magic involved, but it doesn’t use the blood to power it, or however that works.”

“What do they mean?”  Dorian asked.

“Do you mean mine specifically or Vallaslin in general?”

“Both?”

Tei smiled.  “Well, in general, you get to wear the Vallaslin when you’ve proved you’re ready to assume the responsibilities of adulthood in the clan.  It normally happens somewhere in your late teens, but some people take them earlier and some later. I was seventeen when I took mine. My Vallaslin is a representation of Mythal.  She’s the Protector and the All-Mother in the Dalish faith.”

“And are they really tattoos?  Or are they somehow magically applied?

“Oh no, they’re real.  Aside from the sacredness and the magic they go on like any other tattoo,”  Tei explained with amusement.

“Doesn’t that hurt?  On your  _ face?” _  Dorian said incredulously.

“Yeah, incredibly.  And you can’t make a sound while it’s being done, otherwise it shows you’re not ready to take the Vallaslin.”  Tei couldn’t quiet keep the pride out of his voice. Dorian looked impressed. Tei could tell that he wanted to ask to touch them, his fingers kept moving.  Tei leaned closer and took Dorian’s hand, guiding it to his cheeks.

“Okay, this is perfectly idiotic, but they don’t still hurt, do they?”  Dorian very tentatively ran his fingers over the delicate branching lines.  

“Nope, it was so long ago and they healed very well.  It just feels like my skin.” Dorian’s fingers were warm on his face and Tei could feel a slight blush creeping into his face at the pleasant sensation of touch.  

“They’re quite beautiful,”  Dorian said after a moment. “The light color really brings out your eyes.”  He smiled.

Tei blushed even more.  “Thank you.” He put a hand over Dorian’s still on his cheek.

“Everything about you is stunning.”  Dorian fixed one of those beautiful soft looks on him.  “Especially the way you blush when I tell you that.”

“ _ What? _ ”  Tei stammered, so pleased he couldn’t think of anything intelligent.  He hid his face in his hands.

“Did you realize that your ears get red when you do that too?”  Dorian made a low chuckle. “It’s so endearing. Just makes me want to...”  He moved over closer to Tei and gently parted his hands so that he could kiss him.  

Tei made a sound that was half giddy laugh and half contented sigh.  Oh, yes, this was nice.

Dorian pulled back to look at Tei.  He smiled, evidently pleased with the reaction he’d gotten.  “I should have started asking you about Dalish practices weeks ago if this is how you get.”  His eyes sparkled with mirth.

Tei laughed.  “You’re terrible.”

“So should I stop?” 

Tei put his arms around Dorian’s neck.  “Don’t you dare.”

 

Dorian woke some time later that night.  It had been unspeakably lovely to spend some time kissing Tei and then to have Tei fall asleep in his arms.  Out here, away from Skyhold, it seemed like Tei felt like he could be freer. Both with his affections and just in general.  He would kick off his boots as soon as they were far enough away from the mountain keep and you could see him relaxing, that too-familiar tension unhitching from between his shoulders.  It almost made this camping thing worth it. 

Something jabbed Dorian; he must have rolled over on a rock.  He felt around on the ground beneath him for lumps, but then he was jabbed again.  It was Tei. He was curled close to Dorian, but his sleeping face was pulled into an expression of pain and he was tossing on the bed roll.  His ears were pointed downwards and he was making quiet sad sounds.

Cole’s sudden appearance almost made Dorian jump out of the tent.  “Kaffas, Cole, don’t do that.”

“Where are they?  No, don’t hurt them.  I can’t be what they need, I need to be, but I am putting them into danger.  Home, I want to-” Cole looked down at Tei. “It tangles and knots up in his chest.”

Dorian shook Tei gently awake and Cole vanished again.  “Tei, are you all right? You were having a nightmare.”

Tei sat up, disoriented.  He grabbed hold of Dorian’s arm, gripping it tightly, eyes unfocused for a moment.  They glowed eerily in the low light of the dwindling fire. “What time is it?”

“It’s not sunrise yet.”  Dorian put his arm around Tei.

“Was that Cole?  Is he okay?” Tei twisted around looking in the direction where Cole had been crouched.

“Cole is fine.”  Dorian rubbed his thumb over Tei’s cheek.  “Are you?”

Tei closed his eyes.  “It was just a dream.”  He murmured, more to himself than Dorian.  He nodded. “I’m fine. I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“No.  Not at all,”  Dorian lied.

Tei smiled tiredly.  “You’re a terrible liar.”

“Rude.  I am a fantastic liar.  You just caught me unprepared.”  Dorian propped himself up on an elbow and watched Tei.  “This is about that letter Leliana gave you. That’s why you’re so focused on protecting these Dalish, isn’t it?”

Tei put his head in his hands.  “Yeah, probably.”

“What’s actually happening?”

“The Duke of Wycombe thinks Clan Lavellan and the elves in his alienage are spreading some plague.  It’s turning everyone against them,” Tei explained.

“Well, that’s absurd.  It can’t be true,” Dorian said.

“It won’t matter when enough humans get scared enough.  They’ll just kill every elf near them. I just wish we could just get them to leave.  But if Clan Lavellan leaves, the humans will turn on the alienage and wipe them out in our place.  My Keeper can’t let that happen. And she’s right not to.” Tei sighed heavily. He lay back on his bedroll.  “I just keep having this nightmare where I get a letter that says they’re all dead and I’m the last of the Lavellans.”  Tei pressed his palm flat over his chest and closed his eyes. “It’s so vivid. I can even remember the text. ‘ _ Live well, da'len. You carry Clan Lavellan with you. They are coming for us _ ’. ”  Tei let out a shuddering breath.

“Discussion or distraction?”  Dorian lay down next to Tei.

Tei looked over at Dorian with a confused expression.

“Do you want to talk about it or be distracted from it?”  Dorian explained.

“I want to be distracted.  Tell me something about you.” 

“My favorite subject.  Let’s see, where to start?”  Dorian stroked his chin thoughtfully.  “I got thrown out of my first school when I was nine years old.”

“Nine?  What did you do?”  Tei closed his eyes and just tuned in to Dorian’s voice.

“Dueling.”

Tei sat back up and looked at him.  “You’re kidding.”

Dorian laughed.  “Not a bit.”

Tei lay back down.  “This is a good distraction, keep talking.”

“I came into my magic when I was five years old.  My father was so pleased. Didn’t even care that I’d set the prize Antivan carpets on fire in doing it.  For which my mother has never forgiven me, by the way—the woman can hold a grudge like no one else I’ve ever met.”  Dorian looked amused. “My father was so pleased he immediately set to work at getting me into the very best of schools in Tevinter.  I was sent to study at the Circle at Carastes. I was the youngest boy in my class by more than a year and obviously the most brilliant, gifted, and handsome.  Naturally, they all hated me. After I’d been there for a little more than two years along with Marcus Sabinus, the son of another Magister, a rival of my father’s.  He was  _ almost  _ as talented as I was and we antagonized each other constantly.”  Dorian looked over to see if Tei was still listening. “I’m sure he was hearing things from his father and just repeating them, but he was going around telling everyone terrible things about my father.  Which may very well have been true, but I had all the righteous indignation that only a nine year old can possess. So I challenged him to a duel right then and there in the dormitory. Since we were both privileged brats neither of us would back down and I broke his arm with a very directed use of mind blast.  An upperclassman found us and hauled us before the Circle’s Enchanter and I was expelled.”

“Huh.”  Tei rolled over to face Dorian.  “So did you get along better with your father when you were a boy?”  Tei’s mental image of Dorian’s father was pretty biased towards hatred for the man because of what he’d done to Dorian, but he knew Dorian’s feelings around were much more complex.

Dorian smiled sadly.  “I worshipped my father when I was young.  I wanted nothing more than for him to be proud of me.”  He shook his head. “He used to take me everywhere when I was at home.  I know it frustrated him the way I always acted out in school, but despite how difficult I was and how many tutors I went through, he loved showing me off.  His little prodigy, perfect product of generations of  _ breeding _ .  Things didn’t get really bad until he finally sent me off to Minrathous to that hideous Andrastian school that it all started breaking down.  Basically, once I started having independent thoughts and acting on them I think he started being disappointed with me.” Dorian grimaced. 

“That’s... so sad!”  Tei said. He felt stupid the second he said it, because it was blindingly obvious and hardly insightful or comforting.

But Dorian was chuckling.  “It’s actually pretty par for the course for most Magister parents.  But it’s kind of you to say.” He reached over and mussed Tei’s hair. 

Tei swatted his hand away.

Dorian looked thoughtful.  “What else can I tell you that would be interesting enough for the middle of the night?”

Tei yawned.  “What about more of those stories about Tevinter ribaldry you’re always telling me?”  He moved a little closer to Dorian and closed his eyes. 

Dorian put his arm over Tei.  “Oh I have plenty of those. Have I told you about the time Felix and I woke up in the Archon’s private rose garden?”

Tei smiled with his eyes closed.  “Not yet.”

Dorian started telling the story, keeping a half an eye on Tei who was drifting back to sleep.  Not a typical reaction to his stories, but this time, not unwelcome.

 

Varric found them still asleep the next morning.  Normally Tei was always the first person awake: he could regularly be found around the fire, making something for breakfast from what rations they brought with them and supplementing with anything he’d foraged the day before.  Varric chuckled when he found the fire still banked from the night before and Tei still curled up with Dorian. It hadn’t been that long since Tei had wandered out of the library with an almost dizzy smile, looking happier than Varric had ever seen him.  When Varric had made a casual joke about Tei passing time with Dorian he’d just gone red to the tips of his ears. It made Varric laugh, the way the same man who launched himself into battle effortlessly calling down bolts of lightning from the heavens could be so easily flustered by a little flirting.  It was charmingly unexpected from someone who was spoken about in serious tones all across Thedas. People who hadn’t met the inquisitor often expected someone who looked more like Cullen and were frankly shocked to see a small Dalish elf wearing the Inquisitor’s robes. Just imagine how shocked they would be to see the Mighty Inquisitor sleeping wrapped in the arms of his male Tevinter lover.  Varric was absolutely stealing the idea for his next novel. This morning Varric just made a point of noisily going about the business of getting breakfast ready and pretending not to notice when it startled Tei awake. 

Tei yawned and stretched, pleased at where he found himself.  It was still new enough to be a delightful novelty. Tei had to fight the urge to nuzzle deeper into the blankets.  The scent of Varric frying something delicious finally convinced him to get up. He disentangled himself from Dorian, who made a sleepy disapproving sound.  Tei found his clothing and pulled the long tunic over his head, opting to forgo the armor until after breakfast. He rubbed sleep from his eyes as he walked over to the campfire.  “That smells wonderful, Varric. What is it?”

“Morning, Leafy.  Some potatoes with the last of that bacon.  I was thinking if you had a few more of those chives they’d go well on the potato.”  Varric gestured with the wooden spoon. 

Tei yawned and nodded.  “I do. And I think I saw some nests yesterday when we made camp.  I’ll go see if I can forage a few eggs.” Tei rubbed his hand back through his messy sleep hair, making it look more ridiculous in the process.  He retrieved the chives for Varric. “Back in a few.”

“Wear your armor.”  Dorian’s muffled voice came from inside the tent.

“I’m not going far,”  Tei said.

Dorian tossed the enchanter coat out of the tent.  “Says the elf who can find trouble in a deserted chantry building.”  

Tei chuckled.  “I found  _ you _ in a deserted chantry building.”  

“You also fell off several cliffs in the storm coast.”  Varric chuckled. “Reaching for elfroot if I’m not mistaken.  Take the coat.”

“Fine, fine.  I’m wearing it!”  He slipped the coat on and picked up his staff.  They weren’t wrong to tell him to be prepared. “Back soon.”  Tei headed off into the trees where he’d spied the nesting birds yesterday.  He was able to startle a small flock of pheasants. He carefully selected one or two eggs from each nest, checking to be sure that they were freshly laid so as not to take any that were progressing towards hatching.  They weren’t starving, there was no need for eggs like those. 

Tei tucked the eggs into the hem of his tunic, using it like an extra pouch, pocketing them was too likely to result in them cracking.  He dug into his pouch and scattered some dried seeds around the nests as a thank you to the pheasants and then gathered up a few of the nicest looking shed feathers to bring back to Skyhold.  He pressed a kiss to his fingertips and held his palm upwards to the heavens as he whispered thanks to Andruil for the successful hunt, such as it was. 

He was just stepping up to the campfire again when he saw the raven swooping down.  It was one of Leliana’s ravens, carrying a message tied to its leg. Tei felt his chest tightening and tension built in his shoulders, moving down his arms until his hands were gripping the hem of his tunic so tightly his knuckles were white.  He watched, unable to move or take a breath as he saw Dorian removing the message from the bird. 

Dorian looked over at Tei and quickly unrolled the message to read it.  “Lavellans safe. Dalish forces moved into city. Allied with city elves and local merchants and laborers.  Venatori all killed along with Duke. Nobles fled, Dalish hailed as heroes. Will update as more information is available.”  Dorian looked back over at Tei. “They’re safe. It’s all right, Tei.”

Tei let out a strangled breath.  His grip loosened. 

Cole darted forward to catch the eggs as they started to fall.

Tei pressed his hands to his face as he dropped to his knees.  His vision swam in front of his eyes for a moment as his mind caught up with the sudden rush of relief.  Something tightly coiled deep inside his chest finally letting go, the spinning release almost too overwhelming.  He sat back on his knees and took a few steadying breaths. 

“It’s okay.  I caught them.”  Cole held out his hat, showing every single egg held safely inside.  “Nothing is broken.” 

Tei smiled.  “No, nothing is broken.”  He pressed a hand over his chest, feeling his heart hammering under his palm as he caught his breath.  He felt tears at the corners of his eyes and he scrubbed at them with the backs of his hands. He watched Dorian walk over and tentatively crouch down next to him.  “I’m okay.” Tei nodded, a little unsure whether he was reassuring his friends or himself. 

Dorian offered Tei the little slip of paper.

Tei took it from him and forced himself to focus on the careful precise lettering.  It was Leliana’s own hand. She’d taken the time to write the message herself. He read the words again and appreciated the way she’d delivered the most important information immediately.  Lavellans safe. The words he’d been waiting to hear ever since that first letter had arrived from his Keeper. His eyes misted again and he wiped them. “We should make breakfast. There’s a lot to do today.”  He let Dorian help him back up to his feet.

“Do you need a minute?”  Dorian steadied him.

Tei shook his head.  “What me? No, I’ll just cry all over everyone for a little while.  You’re all used to it by now, right?” He folded the slip of paper back up and held it over his heart.  

Dorian watched Tei carefully.  It was true, the Inquisitor wore his heart on his sleeve most of the time.  Dorian had learned how difficult it was for him to conceal his emotions. He had to steel himself for hours before he sat in judgement in the great hall in Skyhold.  He knew Tei had to work extremely hard to put on the brave Inquisitor face around visiting dignitaries and esteemed guests. Josephine carefully managed his time, creating the illusion that the Inquisitor had a packed schedule even when there was more downtime if she noticed his facade slipping or cracking around the edges.  It was no wonder Tei loved to be out on the road, camping and travelling. He shone out here, finding food out of thin air, healing wounds with his endless supplies of herbs and salves, pulling magic from the fade, and climbing after shards (or lost farm animals, or missing rings, or a potion for breathing, or whatever tale of woe a random refugee shared).  

Tei pulled Dorian out of his thoughts with a touch on his arm.  “Thank you, Dorian. I’m going to be okay.” He tucked the paper into a pocket and dried his eyes.  He cleared his throat and looked over at Cole who was still holding the hatful of eggs. “Cole, have you ever eaten pheasant eggs?”

Cole looked down at them.  “I don’t need to eat. Will the baby birds be sad if we eat them?”

Tei walked over to Cole.  “I don’t think so. These aren’t baby birds quite yet.  You just crack them and they turn into food.” Tei brought Cole over to the fire where Varric was making room in the large cast iron skillet for the eggs.  Everything else was finished cooking. Tei cracked the eggs into the pan while Cole watched. 

Dorian sat back on a camp chair while Tei taught Cole how to cook eggs.  

Varric brought him over a plate of bacon and potatoes.  “He doing okay?”

Dorian shrugged.  “He says so. Relieved more than anything I think.”  Dorian took his plate. He smiled down at the flecks of green, no doubt an addition from Tei.  Everything Tei had a hand in cooked tasted better than regular camp food. “Sometimes it’s easy to forget he’s so young.  I don’t think I’d have done half so well as he does when I was only twenty two. I was too busy drinking and being disreputable.”  

“Most people are when they’re that age.”  Varric observed. “Sometimes he’s absolutely that young, and then other times I’d swear he’s got enough wisdom for someone four times his age.”

Dorian nodded.  He tipped his head to Varric as a thank you for the breakfast.  

“Maybe it’s the Mark.  Shit like that makes you grow up fast.  Or maybe it’s just him. He’s Clan Lavellan’s First.  Maybe it’s the training.”

“Eggs are ready.”  Tei and Cole walked over with their pan of eggs.  

Cole was beaming with pride.  “We turned them into food.”

“So you did.”  Dorian chuckled.

Tei dished out eggs to everyone and they ate breakfast around the fire.  

“So, are we hiking back over to the Dalish encampment today, Leafy?”  Varric leaned forward to ask.

“I’d like to.  We picked up the last of the bear pelts they needed.”  Tei speared a piece of potato and egg together. “We don’t all have to go.  I can drop them off myself.”

“I’d like to go along too,”  Cole said helpfully.

“I think Cassandra would kill me if she found out I let you wander around the Exalted Plains alone.”  Varric chuckled.

They all looked at Dorian.  

“Oh, for Maker’s sake, I’m going.  There’s nothing I like more than being an errand boy.”  He said with an exaggerated eye roll. “Better than sitting around here waiting for more undead to turn up.”

Tei smiled.  “I’ll just get this cleaned up and we can go.”  

 

Tei and Cole walked ahead on the trail to the Dalish camp.  Dorian couldn’t help but smile as Tei started teaching Cole a Dalish children’s song as they walked along.  

“Good to hear him singing again.”  Varric said as they walked along. “Been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Since he found out about the threats from the Duke.” 

Varric nodded.  “Too long ago. I missed our Sing-quisitor.”

Dorian smiled.  “If you tell him I said so, I’ll deny everything.  But so did I.”


End file.
